Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1884 — THE PEED CONFESSED [ARTICLE]

THE PEED CONFESSED

Uleßmei’ Wai'tuei*’s Guilty Moul find* Iti'Jief'in telling how anil why |ic killed John IM'eger. . * Wartner, the man who has been in jail at Rensselaer for the last live or six weeks, charged with killing John Dreger, inJKeencr township, has made a full confession. The combined effects of a guilty conscience and'hnxiety as to the fate of his wife and children, have bi-oxen down his physical frame, and so worked upon his mind that lie has been driven to find what relief he could in a free and full confession. At his request, last Thursday, Mr. AP. Feldman, a reputable fellow countryman of Wartner's, came down from Keener, and through him, and in the presence of Ex-sheriff Powell and Deputy Prosecutor Doutbit, he told the story of his crime, which was comniiti.ed to writing, sigued aud sworff to by the guilty man.

Those who have possession of the written confession have, for some reason, thought it advisable to withhold it from publication, at the present time and therefore we are only able to give its general points. Wartner says that he was poor and destitute, with a large family and no means to feed or clothe them. Dreger hadgno one but himself to support and he determined to kill him and take his property. The manner and form of the killing was almost exactly identical with the theories advanced, 'jsome weeks ago, by certain of the amatuer detectives i f Keener. Wax-tner pursuaded Dreger to go to the river with him for fishWhile there he watched his opportunity and felled Dreger to the earth with a blow with the butt of a gun. The gun was broken, by the force of the blow, in such a manner as to leave a long sharp point extending from the brooch, and with that the deep hole in the neck was made and the murder completed. The iron pump heads were thtn securely fastened to the body and it was thrown into the river, it was a cold blooded, heartless butcher}*, but done alone and without the knowledge or complicity of any one else. 1

Among other statements in the con. session YV/trtfter told where Dreger’s best suit of glothes had been hidden, in a certain locality, for the purpose of strengthening the belief that Dreger had left the vicinity. On Sunday last Ex-Sheri ft' Powell, with a posse of men, went to Keener tp., and after a dilligent search of several hours, succeeding in iiuding the clothes; and thereby corroborating Wartner's confession, and making the last link needed, in a chain of evidence that insure) the speedy punishment of this cold blood and mercenary crime. For several days previous to his confession Wartner had been confined to his bed by sickness, but now shows considerable siguss ot improvement in bodily health. He has been much distressed in mind in regard to his family, not knowiog that the laws of the country would provide for their support. The family consists of a wife and two children. The}' have been cared for at public expense for sometime and are now in the county pothouse.

Wartner has shown much concern lately in regard to his spiritual condition, and on Friday last, at his request, j the Rev. M. C. Miner passed several, hours in his cell in reading and prayer. I To Mr. Miner he talked freely as he could ia bis broken Euglisli, of hisj crime and the motives which led to its, perpetration. He was extremely poor; ami destitute, wltnout adequate means j for making a living, and his wife and children were unclothed and hungry. The fish he cought in the river he could not sell because the people arnoug whom he lived were poor and scattering, and lie had no horse to take them io a distance., Dreger had cows and other property and iu h ; s desperation fie eouoe vbd and carried out the idea of killing aim and taking his property. For the benefit of such of our readers as do not fully understand the processes ut the law. in cases like this, we may properly state, the next step necessary will be his formal indictment by the Grand Jury, at the January term of the circuit court, and theu.his ai r. igumeut before the court, upou the charge’ of murder, to which he will be require l to plead -guilty'’ or -not guilty'\ it he pleads guilty, as under the circumstances; he is almost certain to do, t.ie duty of fixing his penalty and passing sentence u >on him will devolve upon , the judge ot the court and may be either death or imprisonment.